High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2688 - 909: Spring Hunting Week

April 17th.Saturday.

The eighth week of the second semester of sophomore year quietly slipped away in Zheng Qing’s university life.

Zheng Qing walked through the deserted campus, habitually wanting to chat with Xiao Xiao, only to suddenly realize it was already the time for Spring Hunting. For three consecutive days starting yesterday, most of the young wizards in the school would be hunting in the Silent Forest, while he was still stuck in classes, making him feel as though the world had abandoned him.

"Luckily, I’m not alone."

He stretched out his finger to scratch the black Gem Cat lying on his shoulder, feeling a mix of emotions: "If these three days I really were the only one attending classes, it would have been too hard to bear."

The lazy Gem Cat bit at his fingertip, indicating it had heard the warlock’s complaints.

Due to graduating early, Zheng Qing didn’t need to participate in this year’s Spring Hunting, but also because of the need to graduate early, while others were enjoying themselves in the Silent Forest, he had to rush between different classrooms.

Of course, he wasn’t alone.

The school still had many students who, like him, didn’t need to participate in Spring Hunting.

For instance, some senior students close to graduating who were making up credits, foreign exchange or visiting students from the New World, and those like him, who were also applying to graduate early.

"Over here!"

A familiar voice sounded not far away, instantly lifting the warlock’s spirits. The previously lazy black Gem Cat suddenly brightened its eyes, leaping off his shoulder. By the time he caught up to the Gem Cat, it had already climbed onto another witch’s shoulder, intimately rubbing with a White Jade Stone Cat.

Shameless.

"Your transformation technique is getting better and better," Jiang Yu complimented, stroking the black Gem Cat’s head.

Zheng Qing noticed his cat squinting its eyes and stretching its neck, enjoying the witch’s touch, showing none of the impatience it had just shown when biting him, leaving him speechless.

He had reason to believe, if this cat were a real living one, it would be purring contentedly right now.

"Sometimes, being too good at transformation isn’t a good thing," he murmured, reminiscing about the days right after the Gem Cat first took shape, when it was obedient and clingy with no trace of mischief.

"Why not?"

The witch showed a trace of confusion, handing him a cup of milk tea: "...if we learn the Art of Body Transformation sooner, wouldn’t it make things easier for us?"

When Zheng Qing and Jiang Yu had taken the elective of the Art of Body Transformation, aside from having a foundation in transformation techniques which allowed them to easily earn credits, the more important reason was that the transformed avatars could rest in place of their owners, essentially providing the two with free, side-effect-free, advanced recovery potions.

"That said—"

Zheng Qing had only spoken these few words when he saw the black Gem Cat mount the back of the White Jade Cat, frightening him so much he took a big sip of milk tea, only to be choked by a slippery pearl.

"—Cough, cough!"

The boy coughed vigorously. While the witch patted his back to help, he quickly snatched the black Gem Cat off her shoulder and stuffed it into his pocket.

Jiang Yu looked somewhat puzzled, glancing at the struggling black cat in the warlock’s pocket and the white cat nonchalantly licking its paws: "—What about that?"

"Well, cough-cough, that being so, being too good at transformation can sometimes invite trouble."

The warlock pinched his pocket with annoyance, warning the black Gem Cat to behave, while nervously sipping more milk tea: "Phew, you know, phew, when the avatar goes out looking like you, its trouble-making efficiency immediately doubles. Even if it’s just a cat. Just thinking about such trouble is a headache."

"Not everyone has that concern."

The witch couldn’t help but laugh, noting the boy’s slumped expression, quickly changing the subject: "But speaking of Spring Hunting... actually, I think that after what happened in the Silent Forest the other day, the school should have canceled this year’s Spring Hunting, especially since, you know—"

Nearly a week had passed, and the reasons behind last Sunday’s false alarm had spread through various channels. Although it hadn’t been officially reported, nearly every student at the First University knew about the disappearance of a Horseman Tribe in the depths of the Silent Forest.

This had cast a strange tension over the Spring Hunting right from the start.

"—Those crows haven’t been caught yet," Zheng Qing interjected, voicing the witch’s unspoken words.

Jiang Yu nodded slightly, biting at her straw, looking around.

It was midday now; the two had just had lunch and were strolling along the Lakefront Corridor. Due to Spring Hunting, there wasn’t a soul in sight. The water buffalo and the big red birds that usually played in the lake were also nowhere to be seen. The sun glittered on the la​​ke’s surface, casting waves of light that, just by looking at, lifted one’s spirits.

The two quietly enjoyed this pleasant scenery.

A moment later.

They spoke simultaneously.

"Li Meng..." Zheng Qing barely uttered two words before closing his mouth.

"Luna..." Jiang Yu, meanwhile, looked over at him.

The two froze slightly, then laughed together.

"Li Meng went to play with Su Ya, it’s Saturday today, she doesn’t have any classes," Jiang Yu seemed to guess what Zheng Qing wanted to ask, and before he could speak, she laughed and said: "Besides, she isn’t a child; she doesn’t need me watching her all the time... Don’t worry, I asked Lin Guo to go with the two of them, they won’t lead ’One Two Three’ astray."

Zheng Qing awkwardly pulled at the corners of his mouth.

Because of their age, Li Meng and Lin Guo weren’t allowed to participate in Spring Hunting. Zheng Qing had known through Furry Bean that the young girl ran to the Greenhill Mansion, naturally concerned that the mischievous girls might lead his Great Elves astray.

Hearing Jiang Yu say Lin Guo went with them eased his mind.

"Luna was just a bit startled, nothing serious." Zheng Qing also proactively responded to the witch’s concern, adding: "But I heard this from the teaching assistants’ office, so I don’t know the exact situation."

Due to the incident in the Silent Forest —when Qingming Festival Zheng Qing visited the Uteya Tribe, Luna happened to be a guest at the tribe, she returned to school with the teaching assistants’ team — the Little Mare from the Huizong Tribe hadn’t attended classes nearly all last week.

Jiang Yu smiled.

"What I wanted to say is, Luna approached me yesterday, mentioning she wanted to join the Atonement Hunting Team," she toyed with the White Jade Cat, her tone hard to pin down: "She knows I’m not the leader of the Atonement Hunting Team, but she said if she directly asked you to join, you surely wouldn’t agree to let her into the team... so she came to me."

Zheng Qing scratched his head.

"What do you think?"

As soon as he spoke, he shook his head, self-denying: "Neither your opinion nor mine matters. After all, this semester neither of us has been very involved with hunting activities. And with the semester’s end, we’re graduating, probably not coordinating hunting missions with others any time soon. This should be left for the seniors to worry about..."